Brandy Norwood

Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known mononymously as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and model.

Her sound is characterized by heavy voice-layering and riffs.

As of 2024, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States.

Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.

Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, Norwood beginning her career as a backing vocalist for various teen pop groups.

Brandy Rayana Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie Norwood, a gospel singer and choir director, and Sonja Norwood (née Bates), a district manager for H&R Block.

Brandy is the older sister of entertainer Ray J.

Rapper Snoop Dogg has claimed that he and Brandy are cousins, though Brandy stated she is unsure if they are actually related.

She is also reported to be a cousin of wrestler Mercedes Moné.

Raised in a Christian household, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel solo at the age of two.

In 1983, her parents relocated to Carson, California, and Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center.

Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston at the age of seven, but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff.

Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions.

In 1990, she signed with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work as a backing vocalist for their R&B boy band Immature and arranged the production of a demo tape.

After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her self-titled debut album the following year at the age of fifteen—which included her first hit song "I Wanna Be Down"—selling six million copies worldwide.

In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for Darryl Williams, the company's director of A&R.

To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother resigned from her job, while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School, and was tutored privately from tenth grade onward.

During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian Thea Vidale.

Initially broadcast to high ratings, the series' viewership dwindled and ended up running for only one season, but earned her a Young Artists Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble alongside her co-stars.

Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time, and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album.

She stated, "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."

Norwood's self-titled debut album was released in late September 1994 and peaked at number twenty on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Critical reaction to Brandy was generally positive, with AllMusic writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower-key Janet Jackson or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige [...] with good songs and crisp production."

Anderson Jones of Entertainment Weekly asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If Aaliyah can do it, why can't I?'."

Brandy went on to sell over six million copies worldwide, and produced three top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "I Wanna Be Down" and "Baby", both of which reached the top of the Hot R&B Singles chart and were both certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Brokenhearted", a duet with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, became a number-two hit on the charts.

The album earned Norwood two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance the following year, and won her four Soul Train Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award.

Norwood ventured into acting with the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996–2001), which won her an NAACP Image Award, followed by roles such as the titular character in the television film Cinderella (1997), and Karla Wilson in the slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).

Her musical breakthrough came with her 1998 single "The Boy Is Mine" (with Monica), which became one of the best selling female duets of all time and won her the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

The song preceded Norwood's second studio album, Never Say Never (1998), which saw further acclaim and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.

It has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making it Norwood's best selling album to date.

Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to continued success and positive reception, while her fifth album, Human (2008) saw a commercial decline.

In 2002, Norwood starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter.

Norwood served as a judge on the first season of America's Got Talent before being involved in a heavily publicized car accident in 2006.

In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business.

Her sixth album, Two Eleven (2012) saw an improvement before she independently released her seventh album, B7 (2020).

In 2022, Norwood signed with Motown to release her eighth studio album, Christmas with Brandy in November of the following year.

She starred in the series The Game (2012–2015) for BET, and subsequently executive produced and starred in the short-lived sitcom Zoe Ever After also for the company.

In April 2015, Norwood made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago.

In 2021, Norwood starred alongside Naturi Naughton, Eve and Nadine Velazquez in the musical drama series Queens for ABC, which saw critical acclaim.